Trust Me
by hexterah
Summary: Little Alex Shepherd attends his favorite Aunt's wedding. He's wary of her new husband, James and tries not to show it around his family. One-poster/short story. Written: 10/20/08


**Author's Note: **When I heard Alex and Josh's last name was Shepherd I knew there was a story waiting to be written in there about Mary Shepherd-Sunderland. This is what came of it – I know the timeline is probably off and such, but I once this idea came to me, it wouldn't leave. Written: 10/20/08

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**Trust Me**

Why were weddings so boring?

He had only been to a couple before and each one was the same. Look, there's the groom and the bride, blah blah blah, let's eat some free food and watch the new couple dance and more blah blah blah.

Alex Shepherd wanted none of it.

He was twelve and at things like this he had the attention span of a five year old. An attention span which was currently letting him focus on his friend Elle, who was at another table, looking almost as bored as he felt. She looked over to him after a few moments and he scowled, straightened his clip-on tie and gave an exaggerated sigh, which caused her to chuckle wildly and clap her hands over her mouth.

When her laughing ceased, he waited until he had her attention again and then reached to his left, to the table, where he smeared the small green leaves made out of frosting off the piece of his wedding cake and poked his upper lip. He looked back to Elle when it was nicely in place and pointed at his nose questioningly, as if to ask if there was anything wrong with it.

She giggled again, and he smiled proudly at her delight over his frosting-booger. Elle was always--

"Alex!"

Quickly turning back towards the simply-decorated table, he saw his father frowning at him from across the white tablecloth and flower centerpiece. His forehead was furrowed with heavy horizontal lines and his eyebrows came together in the middle when he did that. Alex always thought they looked like one big, long angry caterpillar.

"Sorry," Alex murmured, dragging his hand across his upper lip to rid it of the dab of green frosting.

He peered over to his mother momentarily, expecting an admonishing gaze from her too. But no, she was too busy with Joshua. He was cooing some little kid garble and weaseling around in her lap. Josh caught his older brother looking over at them and made more incoherent kid noises, his mouth forming a huge smile filled with tiny, stubby teeth. Josh pointed to him and wiggled in his mother's lap, then began to say his older brother's name over and over again in between giggles.

It sounded more like "Alks", but it was enough to make Alex crack a small grin.

Josh's attention span was a little shorter than Alex's at that point and soon he was busying himself by wading up the tablecloth in his hands. Alex had moved onto other things as well. He was currently watching an older man out on the dance floor by their table, sweeping the bride around and twirling her to the music. It wasn't the groom dancing with her. And it wasn't his grandpa. Grandpa had already danced with the bride earlier.

As the two drifted by their table, Alex caught the bride laughing loudly and saying something.

"Oh, Frank! Of course not! He would never do that."

Alex watched them float by, the bride's dress hitting his right shoe as they moved. His attention was all on her now. She looked really pretty and her face was lit up with a smile. That was the smile Alex was used to seeing on her -- like when he got a math problem right or when he drew a picture for her. That was the smile she gave when she was genuinely happy and proud. He hoped that her getting married didn't mean he would see her less. She was one of the only people who really paid attention to him.

Besides Elle, of course.

Alex briefly pictured Elle older and in a wedding dress, but quickly banished the thought when he remembered how damn boring weddings were.

Turning away from the floor, he picked his fork back up and began to dig back into his piece of cake. It was sweet and rich and had buttercream frosting. Just the way he liked it.

It only took a few minutes to get distracted again and this time it wasn't of his own doing. The bride and groom had approached their table. He licked his lips free of any excess frosting and watched the bride lean over his father's shoulder, both of her gloved hands placed delicately on his upper arms. She said something to him that Alex couldn't hear, and then she turned to his mother and did the same, speaking to both her and Joshua in a cheery tone.

He watched the conversation she was having with his mother and brother, and then watched as the groom exchanged a few jovial words with his father. The groom then shifted around the table and stood near Alex, eyeing him curiously. Alex just stared back at the man for a few moments before leaning forward in his chair and narrowing his eyes.

"Are you gonna take care of my Aunt Mary? She's m'favorite aunt."

She was his only aunt. His mother had no sisters, and his father and Aunt Mary's older sister died before they were born. Alex had a feeling that Mary would be his favorite no matter what though -- she was always so gracious and helpful.

The man smiled a pleasant and comforting smile, brushing dark blonde hair out of his face before leaning down to be on the same level as Alex, who was still seated in the ivory colored wooden chair. Alex felt warmth radiating off of him -- if he had been older and wiser, he would've known this man was completely and fully in love.

"Of course I am, Alex." The man nodded solemnly and reached out to ruffle the boy's hair. "Trust me." His wife came over and smiled _that smile_, then leaned down and kissed Alex on the forehead before turning to the man.

"Come on, James. Let's go dance."

With a friendly wink to Alex, the man stood up and took his wife by the hand, gently pulling her out to the dance floor.

Stealing a quick glance across the floor to Elle and the table her family was seated at, Alex turned and watched his Aunt Mary dance with her new husband for a minute or two before delving back into his piece of cake. A boy had to have his priorities.

And weddings were boring.


End file.
